The present invention relates to the cigar industry and, more particularly, to the field of cigar humidors and methods of storing cigars.
Numerous humidors, cigar cases, and other cigar storage containers, devices and systems have been developed over the years. These cigar storage containers have widely varied in shape and size. Some containers, for example, have been known for travel which have an elongate shape with a screw-on top and holds only one or a small number of cigars such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 428,195 titled xe2x80x9cCigar Casexe2x80x9d by Knudsen. Other cigar storage containers for travel have a substantially rectangular shape with a zip-open top and are lined with cedar strips such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,113 titled xe2x80x9cPortable Humidorxe2x80x9d by Schmaling et al. Other shapes for cigar storage containers, such as coffin shaped as shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 419,260 titled xe2x80x9cCigar Humidorxe2x80x9d by Manzo, Jr. and barrel shaped as shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 410, 566 titled xe2x80x9cCigar Humidorxe2x80x9d by Bartolotta, have been known as well. Also, flavor additives have been known for introducing into containers such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,710 titled xe2x80x9cCigar Enhancing Humidorxe2x80x9d by Barber. All of these containers, however, either only hold one cigar or place all the cigars into a common storage chamber. This encourages over-packing of containers which can damage the cigars and reduces the sealed confinement of the individual cigars when positioned in the chamber. Also, when selecting a cigar from the container, the user is required to pilfer through the various cigars to make a desired selection such as when a child places his hand in a cookie jar and pilfers through the cookies trying to find the biggest one or the one with the most chocolate. Many cigars, cigar producers, and cigar sellers, in contrast to cookies, have been obtaining and continue to try to obtain a classier image among purchasers. Accordingly, a cookie jar approach to storing and selecting cigars can provide an image, and perhaps often actually be, of unsanitary, damaged or used goods, or not caring about the cigars themselves, the user, or the one being offered a cigar. Also, because many types of cigars can be expensive, damaged cigars can be costly and unsightly to a user.
With the foregoing in mind, the cigar storing apparatus and associated methods of the present invention advantageously allows a user to store a plurality of cigars in individually confined areas to thereby protect each cigar individually. This individual protection also advantageously allows individual applications such as scenting or flavoring to be done as groups or individually. The cigar storing apparatus and associated methods of the present invention additionally advantageously allow a plurality of cigars to be displayed at one time by a user and to make an individual selection without damaging or contaminating other cigars being stored. Accordingly, if a particular cigar from the Dominican Republic or Cuba is being offered in a selection with other cigars from other countries and a user desires that particular cigar type, for example, the one being offered the cigar can readily make the selection with a substantially reduced risk of contacting the other cigars being offered. The cigar storing apparatus further advantageously provides a compact and organized way to store a plurality of cigars in an air tight container.
More particularly, the present invention provides an apparatus for storing cigars that preferably has a main body container having a bottom, side portions connected to and extending upwardly from the bottom, and a plurality of separate, individual and elongate cigar storage compartments formed within the main body and within the confines of the side portions and each having an open upper end thereof to position a cigar therein. The separate and individual storage compartments advantageously protect each individual cigar from damage, contamination, moisture, and other aspects such as during travel, extensive use, toting, or other uses of the apparatus. The apparatus also preferably has a container lid positioned to overlie upper portions of the main body container when in a closed position to thereby cover the open upper end of each of the plurality of cigar storage compartments and a cigar dispenser having portions thereof positioned within the main body container and responsive to a user to display and dispense each of the cigars positioned within the plurality of cigar storage containers.
The apparatus according to the present invention can also advantageously have a lid fastener associated with the container lid and the main body container to thereby secure the container lid to the main body container and a seal positioned to contact the container lid and upper portions of the main body contact to thereby assist in forming a gaseous tight container so that when the lid is secured to the main body container various gases are not able to reach cigars when positioned within the plurality of cigar storage compartments. The main body container also preferably has a substantially solid medial portion positioned within the confines of the side portions into which the plurality of cigar storage compartments are formed. The substantially solid medial portion of the main container body preferably includes a bore formed therein in a medial portion thereof extending from an upper end of the main container body to adjacent the bottom thereof. The cigar dispenser can advantageously have major portions thereof positioned within the bore and responsive to a user to display and dispense each of the cigars positioned within the plurality of cigar storage containers. Advantageously, for ease of manufacturing, aesthetics, additional freshness protection, or other desired features, the bottom and side portions can be formed of a different material than the substantially solid medial portion of the same material.
According to the present invention, the cigar dispenser preferably includes a handle rod positioned within the bore and having an upper end portion positioned to be gripped by a user and a lower end portion positioned adjacent the bottom when in a lowered position. The lower end portion preferably extends upwardly away from the bottom and through the bore when in a raised position. The cigar dispenser also preferably includes a plurality of cigar contact rod members connected to and extending outwardly from the handle rod and each to a respective one of plurality of cigar storage compartments and each positioned to underlie a respective one of the cigars so that when the handle rod is gripped and raised by a user at least portions of upper ends of the cigars extend upwardly through the open upper end of the plurality of cigar storage compartments preferably for simultaneously displaying and dispensing to a user. The cigar dispenser, for example, can have an umbrella-frame type appearance which has a main rod member and a plurality of finger rod members connected to the main rod member and extending outwardly therefrom. This advantageously allows all of the cigars to be raised and displayed at one time, e.g., simultaneously. The user can then readily select one of the displayed cigars for use without contacting the other cigars and yet can determine if the type of cigar the user likes is among the selection being displayed.
The present invention still further includes a method of displaying and dispensing cigars which preferably includes positioning a plurality of cigars in a cigar storage container so that the plurality of cigars are each substantially hidden from ready viewing and raising a cigar dispenser to a desired height responsive to a user so that portions of each of the plurality of cigars are readily visible to the user. The step of raising a cigar dispenser preferably includes gripping the cigar dispenser by a hand of a user and lifting the cigars by the cigar dispenser to the desired height. The method can also include selecting one of the plurality of cigars for use by gripping the cigar with the other hand of the user when the plurality of cigars are being viewed.
Advantageously, an apparatus and methods for storing cigars of the present invention allows a plurality of cigars to be stored in an individually protective environment and yet be readily displayed and dispensed to a user. The individual storage further advantageously allows the owner of the apparatus to selectively arrange or store cigars in preselected patterns, e.g., groups, rows, or positions, so that when the owner desires a type of selection, the apparatus can readily be positioned to provide access to that owner or the guest being offered a cigar. Still further, the compact and portable nature of the apparatus allows it to be manufactured as a portable travel container, such as for business, hunting, fishing, or camping, or to be used as a prominent display container such as on a desk, tabletop, or a bookshelf and yet have all of the other advantages as described herein.